The present invention relates to the field of food handling and packaging, and, more particularly to an apparatus and method for stacking frozen food portions, such as hamburger patties or the like, in preparation for packaging, and without the need for human contact.
Numerous advances have been made in the food processing and packaging industries over the last several decades. These advances, in large part, have been directed to automated handling and packaging systems for increasing the xe2x80x9cassembly linexe2x80x9d output, i.e., volume, of the food processing operation. Examples include machines for filling and sealing containers, stackers, sorters, and counters/measurement devices. Primary objectives of these systems have been cost reduction and accuracy. A large number of these systems have also been devised for use with final, processed, foods such as snacks, beverages, processed canned products, etc.
A different set of problems has evolved in recent years with respect to the handling and packaging of uncooked, or raw, food products, particularly meats. Concerns of tainted, or contaminated meat due to improper handling and processing of the raw meat products, such as E. coli, have given rise to increased governmental oversight. Additionally, concerns associated with human contact and the passage of human contamination during the cooking stage and service of food products have prompted higher workplace standards. One notable example is the passage of hepatitis. As fast food restaurants and the like have proliferated, so have the concerns over tainted food and incidents of food poisoning. Accordingly, product liability issues have arisen. Food processors and packagers are bearing high costs from the liabilities associated with human contact, and hence, contamination.
Yet, despite the advances made in automation and packaging, there have not heretofore been effective, practical, and efficient ways to eliminate human contact with raw meat products. At some point in the forming and packaging process, human contact with raw product has been necessary. Meat packers have, thus, found themselves increasingly culpable when cases of contamination arise, and have borne substantial losses over precautionary recalls of products when the source of the contamination has been indeterminate.
There are rotably mounted stacking devices known in the art for the stacking of paper, napkins, and the like with spiral-shaped slots for receiving and transporting the items to be stacked. The spiral configurations facilitate the stacking of the items in substantially vertical stacks. Because of the flexible nature of such items, the angular relationships of the slots to the vertical slots are critical to the proper functioning of the devices. As a result, the devices are quite complex and not suitable for the transport and stacking of semi-rigid or rigid items, such as food portions.
There is now known an apparatus for stacking predetermined numbers of food portions without the need for human contact; however, the apparatus requires multiple conveying belts, counters, and gates, all which must be synchronized and electronically interconnected. While the apparatus effectively stacks selected food portions, it is mechanically and electronically complex, and expensive to construct and maintain.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for efficiently stacking predetermined numbers of food portions, such as frozen hamburger patties, received from bulk bins, or directly from a freezer, in preparation for subsequent packaging, and without the need for human contact.
In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus for stacking food patties includes a conveyor, a rotary transporter, and a receiving assembly. In one embodiment, the conveyor comprises a receiving conveying belt that receives flat, frozen patties from a bulk bin, hopper, or freezer, at its first, or receiving, end. The belt is mechanically driven for moving patties along the length of the belt away from the bin or hopper and toward its second, or discharge, end. A counter is desirably positioned above or below the first conveying belt to count patties passing a selected point along the conveying belt. A gate is positioned downstream of the counter for stopping and preventing further movement beyond a second selected point. The counter and the gate are electronically interconnected so that the gate will open, or lift, when a preselected number of patties have passed by the counter. When the gate opens, the row of patties is permitted to continue moving along the conveying belt toward the discharge end of the conveying belt.
Patties reaching the end of the conveying belt are received by a constantly rotating rotary transporter. The rotary transporter comprises a pair of spaced apart, generally circular blades. A continuous series of right-angled, or saw-tooth, notches are formed in each blade, each notch having a long side that is dimensioned slightly shorter than the diameter of a frozen patty, and a short side that is slightly greater in dimension than the thickness of a frozen patty. The two blades are aligned with respect to one another so that their respective notches are in registration with one another. Each notch receives and transports a single patty as the row of patties is received from the conveying belt.
As the transporter rotates away from the conveying belt, it deposits each of the patties, one at a time, in the receiving bucket. The receiving bucket is generally arcuately shape and dimensioned so that the first patty deposited will be suspended within the bucket about its outer edges in a generally horizontally flat orientation. As subsequent patties are deposited, the first and subsequent patties are pushed into a vertical orientation until a predetermined number of patties have been deposited in the bucket. At that point, a plunger extends from between the pair of circular blades and holds the stack of patties together, while the receiving bucket rotates about its longitudinal axis to dump the stack of patties into a transport system for subsequent packaging.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the drawings. It should be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.